Very Good Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928) Original autograph letter signed (ALS) by Ottoman prince (Sehzâde) Yusuf Izzeddin to his brother, probably Mehmed Seyfeddin Efendi, (1867-1899). 27x17 cm. In Ottoman script. 1 p. 11 lines. Used a pencil. Full. Written on a "Toneywood Linen" watermarked paper. Sehzâde Yusuf Izzeddin was an Ottoman prince, the son of Sultan Abdülaziz and his first wife Dürrünev Kadin. Sehzade Yusuf Izzeddin was born on 29 September 1857 in the Dolmabahçe Palace. His father was Sultan Abdülaziz, who was then a prince, and his mother was Dürrünev Kadin, eldest daughter of Prince Mahmud Dziaps-lpa and his wife Princess Halime Çikotua. He had a full sister, Saliha Sultan, five years younger than him. He was brought up concealed in the villa of Kadir Bey, molla of Mecca, located in Eyüp. His birth was kept a secret until his father ascended the throne in 1861. Izzeddin's early education took place in the Prince's School, Dolmabahçe Palace. His tutors were Miralay Süleyman Bey, Ömer Efendi, Tophane Müfti Ömer Lutfi Efendi, Gazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha, and Gürcü Serif Efendi. He took his French lessons from the Sultan's head doctor Marko Pasha and Sakizli Ohannes Pasha's son-in-law Sarl. In 1871, at the age of fourteen, Izzeddin was commander of the Fourth Army (Anatolian Army) with the rank of Marshal, and soon after was appointed commander of the First Army, the Imperial Army. After his accession to the throne, Prince Murad (future Sultan Murad V), became heir to the throne. However, Abdülaziz began considering changing the rule of succession in favor of Izzeddin. For this purpose, Abdülaziz set out to mollify different pressure groups and have his son gain popularity among them. During the 1867 visit to Europe, rumors spread that contrary to the rules of protocol Abdülaziz arranged Izzeddin's reception in Paris and London before the official heir, Prince Murad. Izzeddin's father, Abdülaziz was deposed by his ministers on 30 May 1876, and his nephew Murad became the Sultan. He was transferred to Feriye Palace the next day. On 4 June 1876, Abdülaziz died under mysterious circumstances. As both of Emine Sultan, Izzeddin's half-sister, parents died in the summer of 1876, when she was not yet two years old, Izzeddin raised her in his household. Izzeddin's cousin Sultan Abdul Hamid II was suspicious of him, and for this reason, had a police station built opposite his country house. Izzeddin and Prince Vahideddin (future Mehmed VI) had a rivalry with each other. Though, coldly polite to each other, they refused to share the same carriage even for the ceremonies of the state. Vahideddin especially insisted on being considered the second heir apparent. Yusuf Izzeddin suffered from his role and lived his later years in a kind of paranoia, until he committed suicide (his cause of death is still under debate: murder or suicide?) on 1 February 1916 in his villa at Zincirlikuyu, Istanbul.
